11. Discovery of Australia

• Captain James Cook was commissioned in 1768 by the British Royal Society to travel to the Pacific and observe Venus passing in front of the sun to help determine the distance between Earth and the sun (Cook’s measurements—and those of the 75 other observers around the world—weren’t accurate enough to make the calculation). After completing this assignment, Cook and the crew of his ship, the Endeavour, undertook the first complete mapping of the coast of New Zealand, Tasmania and the eastern coast of Australia.

• Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603–1659) was a Dutch seafarer, explorer and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie) (United East India Company). He was the first known European explorer to reach the islands of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) and New Zealand, and to sight the Fiji islands. His navigator François Visscher, and his merchant Isaack Gilsemans, mapped substantial portions of Australia, New Zealand and some Pacific Islands.

• The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships that left Great Britain, bound for Australia, on 13 May 1787. The Fleet was sent to New South Wales (as named by Captain Cook) in order to begin European colonisation in Australia.

• Edward John Eyre: an English-born Australian expeditor

• Matthew Flinders: English explorer, naval officer; sailed around Australia and mapped much of its coastline; was the first European to realize that Tasmania was an island and sailed around it

• Edmund Kennedy: discovered Victoria Stream [Barcoo River]

• Jean-Francois La Perouse: mapped the west coast of North America; visited the Easter and Sandwich islands

• Arthur Phillip: was the first Governor of New South Wales, and founder of the settlement which became Sydney

11. Russian problems in the American speech

So, the Russians and the Americans have problems with speaking with each other. Here are some example of misunderstanding.

- A double negative occurs when two forms of negation are used in the same sentence and the Russians usually use them but the Americans use only one.

Wrong: : Не has not nо money.

Right: Не has nо money / He hasn’t got any money.

- Politeness

When you speak to: - an unknown man call him Sir, not Mister

- an unknown woman call her Ms [miz] it's neutral word for married and umarried woman

- a group of men and women call them Ladies and Gentlemen

If you're not a teen try to avoid the words: guys, girls, kids.

Forget about "You, people". It's negative, especially when you speak to people of different nations.

If you want to say "нормально" just say OK, I guess, or Not bad.

Don't say "How are your things?". It'll be regarded as you want to know about financial status.

TIME

The Americans have fixed concept of time while time in Russia is fluid. For an American one minute is 60 sec. If he says: "I’ll be with you in a minute" it means that he will be in 2-3 minutes while a Russian will be in 10-15 minutes. Russian «сейчас» is fluid and means the period from 5 till 25 minutes.

The phrase «Я позвоню вам завтра во второй половине дня» contais little information. For the Americans this phrase is more understandable: I’ll call / phone you between three and four tomorrow.

ACTIVE/PASSIVE VOICE

For the Russians the constructions as Мне холодно, Ей скучно, Ему спать хочется are usual but for the Americans will be better if you say it all in active voice:

I’m cold / feeling cold; She’s fine / ОК / doing well / all right; I’m bored; He’s sleepy.

Хочется с кем-то поговорить.

I’d like / am in the mood / to talk / feel like talking to someone.

Пить хочется.

I want a drink. / I’d like to drink something. / I’m thirsty.

Светает.

Dawn is breaking / It’s daybreak.

BODY LANGUAGE

Keep distance otherwise you will be accussed of sexual harassment. They protect their personal space.

American national tradition says: whatever will happen - keep smiling

Don't cry at funerals.

Because of american positive thinking, the Americans don't like self-humiliating gestures as beating yourself on the forehead.

If you beat your's breast an American will think you're crazy

FOOD

The word meal has no russian equivalent.

breakfast - 7-9.30

Lunch - 12-14 In Russian this period of meal is called "обед"

Dinner is the main meal of the day - 6-7 p.m. Sometimes it's called supper.

After-thater supper is light meal in 10-12 p.m.

Brunch means "a late morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch".

If you are invited for а сuр of tea it's realy a cup of tea.

Don't be for a long time in one's place. After this call the hostess to thank her.

You don't need to drink spirits if you don't want. Nobody will make you to do it.

POLITICALLY CORRECT LANGUAGE

"Intellectually disabled" in place of "Retarded" and other terms

"African American" in place of "Black," "Negro" and other terms

"Native American" (United States)/"First Nations" (Canada) in place of "Indian"

"Gender-neutral" terms such as "firefighter" in place of "fireman," police officer in place of policeman.

Terms relating to lack of various common human abilities, such as "visually impaired" or "hearing impaired" in place of "blind" or "deaf"

"Holiday", "winter" or "festive" in place of "Christmas"

Blacks are now called African-Americans/Canadians, whites are Caucasians, Indians are referred to as a Native Americans, and Orientals have been replaced with Asians.

Men and women once had different titles for the same job. Not anymore! Referring to a certain gender is now considered sexist, so instead of man or woman, the word person is used in job titles. For example, we use chairperson as opposed to chairman, businessperson instead of businessman, and salesperson in place of salesman.

What about those jobs that don't sound very prestigious? Don't worry! If you are a janitor(дворник), you can call yourself a sanitation engineer(инженер по улучшению санитарно-гигиенических условий). Housewives are now domestic engineers. And if you don't have a job, you're not unemployed anymore, you're actually just involuntarily leisured!